第8章

ItwastowardthelastofOctoberthatBillybegantonoticeherhusband’sgrowingrestlessness。

Twice，whenshehadbeenplayingtohim，sheturnedtofindhimtestingthesupplenessofhisinjuredarm。Severaltimes，failingtoreceiveananswertoherquestions，shehadlookeduptodiscoverhimgazingabstractedlyatnothinginparticular。

Theyreadandwalkedandtalkedtogether，tobesure，andBertram’sdevotiontoherlightestwishwasbeyondquestion；butmoreandmorefrequentlythesedaysBillyfoundhimhoveringoverhissketchesinhisstudio；andonce，whenhefailedtorespondtothedinner-bell，searchrevealedhimburiedinaprofoundtreatiseonTheArtofForeshortening。’

ThencamethedaywhenBilly，afteranhour’svainefforttoimprisonwithinnotesatantalizingmelody，capturedthetruantandraindowntothestudiototellBertramofhervictory。

ButBertramdidnotseemeventohearher。

True，heleapedtohisfeetandhurriedtomeether，hisfaceradiantlyaglow；butshehadnotceasedtospeakbeforehehimselfwastalking。

Billy，Billy，I’vebeensketching，’hecried。

Myhandisalmoststeady。See，someofthoselinesareallright!Ijustpickedupacrayonand——’Hestoppedabruptly，hiseyesonBilly’sface。Avaguelytroubledshadowcrossedhisown。Did——didyou——wereyousayinganythingin——inparticular，whenyoucamein？’hestammered。

Forashorthalf-minuteBillylookedatherhusbandwithoutspeaking。Then，alittlequeerly，shelaughed。

Oh，no，nothingatallin_particular_，’sheretortedairily。Thenextmoment，withoneofherunexpectedchangesofmanner，shedartedacrosstheroom，pickedupapalette，andahandfulofbrushesfromthelongboxnearit。Advancingtowardherhusbandsheheldthemoutdramatically。

Andnowpaint，mylord，paint!’shecommandedhim，withsterninsistence，asshethrustthemintohishands。

Bertramlaughedshamefacedly。

Oh，Isay，Billy，’hebegan；butBillyhadgone。

OutinthehallBillywasspeedingup-stairs，talkingfiercelytoherself。

We’ll，BillyNeilsonHenshaw，it’scome!

Nowbehaveyourself。_Thatwasthepaintinglook!_

Youknowwhatthatmeans。Remember，hebelongstohisArtbeforehedoestoyou。Kateandeverybodysaysso。Andyou——youexpectedhimtotendtoyouandyoursillylittlesongs。Doyouwanttoruinhiscareer？Asifnowhecouldspendallhistimeandgiveallhisthoughtstoyou!ButI——IjusthatethatArt!’

Whatdidyousay，Billy？’askedWilliam，inmildsurprise，comingaroundtheturnofthebalustradeinthehallabove。Wereyouspeakingtome，mydear？’

Billylookedup。Herfaceclearedsuddenly，andshelaughed——thoughalittleruefully。

No，UncleWilliam，Iwasn’ttalkingtoyou，’

shesighed。Iwasjust——justadministeringfirstaidtotheinjured，’shefinished，asshewhiskedintoherownroom。

Well，well，blessthechild!Whatcanshemeanbythat？’puzzledUncleWilliam，turningtogodownthestairway。

Bertrambegantopaintaverylittlethenextday。Hepaintedstillmorethenext，andyetmoreagainthedayfollowing。Hewaslikeabirdletoutofacage，sojoyouslyalivewashe。Theoldsparklecamebacktohiseye，theoldgaysmiletohislips。NowthattheyhadcomebackBillyrealizedwhatshehadnotbeenconsciousofbefore：thatforseveralweekspasttheyhadnotbeenthere；andshewonderedwhichhurtthemore——thattheyhadnotbeentherebefore，orthattheyweretherenow。Thenshescoldedherselfroundlyforaskingthequestionatall。

Theywerenoteasy——thosedaysforBilly，thoughalwaystoBertramshemanagedtoshowacheerfullysereneface。ToUncleWilliam，also，andtoAuntHannahsheshowedasmilingcountenance；

andbecauseshecouldnottalktoanybodyelseofherfeelings，shetalkedtoherself。

This，however，wasnonewthingforBillytodoFromearliestchildhoodshehadfoughtthingsoutinlikemanner。

Butit’ssoabsurdofyou，BillyHenshaw，’

sheberatedherselfoneday，whenBertramhadbecomesoabsorbedinhisworkthathehadforgottentokeephisappointmentwithherforawalk。Justbecauseyouhavehadhisconstantattentionalmosteveryhoursinceyouweremarriedisnoreasonwhyyoushouldhaveiteveryhournow，whenhisarmisbetter!Besides，it’sexactlywhatyousaidyouwouldn’tdo——object——

tohisgivingpropertimetohiswork。’

ButI’mnotobjecting，’stormedtheotherhalfofherself。I’m_telling_himtodoit。It’sonlythathe’sso——so_pleased_todoit。Hedoesn’tseemtomindabitbeingawayfromme。He’sactuallyhappy!’

Well，don’tyouwanthimtobehappyinhiswork？Fie!Forshame!Afineartist’swifeyouare。ItseemsKatewasright，then；you_are_goingtospoilhiscareer!’

Ho!’quothBilly，andtossedherhead。

Forthwithshecrossedtheroomtoherpianoandplumpedherselfdownhardontothestool。Then，fromunderherfingerstherefellarollickingmelodythatseemedtofilltheroomwithlittledancingfeet。FasterandfasterspedBilly’sfingers；

swifterandswiftertwinkledthelittledancingfeet。Thenadoorwasjerkedopen，andBertram’svoicecalled：

Billy!’

Themusicstoppedinstantly。Billysprangfromherseat，hereyeseagerlyseekingthedirectionfromwhichhadcomethevoice。Perhaps——_perhaps_

Bertramwantedher。Perhapshewasnotgoingtopaintanylongerthatmorning，afterall。

Billy!’calledthevoiceagain。Please，doyoumindstoppingthatplayingjustforalittlewhile？I’mabrute，Iknow，dear，butmybrush_will_trytokeeptimewiththatcrazylittletuneofyours，andyouknowmyhandisnonetoosteady，anyhow，andwhenittriestokeepupwiththatjiggety，jig，jig，jiggety，jig，jig——!_Do_youmind，，darling，just——justsewing，ordoingsomethingstillforawhile？’

AllthelightfledfromBilly’sface，buthervoice，whenshespoke，wasthequintessenceofcheeryindifference。

Why，no，ofcoursenot，dear。’

Thankyou。Iknewyouwouldn’t，’sighedBertram。Thenthedoorshut。

ForalongminuteBillystoodmotionlessbeforesheglancedatherwatchandspedtothetelephone。

IsMissGreggorythere，Rosa？’shecalledwhentheoperator’sringwasanswered。

Mis’Greggory，thelameone？’

No；_Miss_Greggory——MissAlice。’

Oh!Yes’m。’

Thenwon’tyouaskhertocometothetelephone，please。’

Therewasamoment’swait，duringwhichBilly’ssmall，well-shodfootbeatanervoustattooonthefloor。

Oh，isthatyou，Alice？’shecalledthen。

Areyougoingtobehomeforanhourortwo？’

Why，y-yes；yes，indeed。’

ThenI’mcomingover。We’llplayduets，sing——anything。Iwantsomemusic。’

Do!And——Mr。Arkwrightishere。He’llhelp。’

Mr。Arkwright？Yousayhe’sthere？ThenIwon’t——Yes，Iwill，too。’Billyspokewithrenewedfirmness。I’llbethererightaway。

Good-by。’Andshehungupthereceiver，andwenttotellPetetoorderJohnandPeggyatonce。

IsupposeIoughttohaveleftAliceandMr。

Arkwrightalonetogether，’mutteredtheyoungwifefeverishly，asshehurriedlypreparedfordeparture。ButI’llmakeituptothemlater。

I’mgoingtogivethemlotsofchances。Butto-

day——to-dayIjusthadtogo——somewhere!’

AttheAnnex，withAliceGreggoryandArkwright，Billysangduetsandtrios，andreveledinasonorouswildernessofnewmusictoherheart’scontent。Then，rested，refreshed，andatpeacewithalltheworld，shehurriedhometodinnerandtoBertram。

There!Ifeelbetter，’shesighed，asshetookoffherhatinherownroom；andnowI’llgofindBertram。Blesshisheart——ofcoursehedidn’twantmetoplaywhenhewassobusy!’

Billywentstraighttothestudio，butBertramwasnotthere。NeitherwasheinWilliam’sroom，noranywhereinthehouse。Down-stairsinthedining-roomPetewasfoundlookingratherwhite，leaningbackinachair。Hestruggledatoncetohisfeet，however，ashismistressenteredtheroom。

Billyhurriedforwardwithastartledexclamation。

Why，Pete，whatisit？Areyousick？’shecried，herglanceencompassingthehalf-settable。

No，ma’am；oh，no，ma’am!’Theoldmanstumbledforwardandbegantoarrangetheknivesandforks。It’sjustapeskypain——beggin’

yerpardon——inmyside。ButIain’tsick。No，Miss——ma’am。’

Billyfrownedandshookherhead。HereyeswereonPete’spalpablytremblinghands。

But，Pete，youaresick，’sheprotested。LetElizadothat。’

Petedrewhimselfstifflyerect。Thecolorhadbeguntocomebacktohisface。

Therehain’tnoonesetthistablemuchbutmeformore’nfiftyyears，an’I’vegotasortofnotionthatnobodycandoitjusttersuitme。

Besides，I’mbetternow。It’sgone——thatpain。’

But，Pete，whatisit？Howlonghaveyouhadit？’

Ihain’thaditanytime，steady。It’sthecomin’an’goin’kind。Itseemssillyterminditatall；only，whenitdoescome，itsorto’takesthebackbonerightouto’myknees，andtheydoubleupso’sIhavetersetdown。There，yesee？I’mpertasasparrer，now!’And，withstiffcelerity，Peteresumedhistask。

Hismistressstillfrowned。

Thatisn’tright，Pete，’shedemurred，withaslowshakeofherhead。Youshouldseeadoctor。’

Theoldmanpaledalittle。Hehadseenadoctor，andhehadnotlikedwhatthedoctorhadtoldhim。Infact，hestubbornlyrefusedtobelievewhatthedoctorhadsaid。Hestraightenedhimselfnowalittleaggressively。

Humph!Beggin’yerpardon，Miss——ma’am，butIdon’tthinkmucho’themdoctorchaps。’

Billyshookherheadagainasshesmiledandturnedaway。Then，asifcasually，sheasked：

Oh，didMr。Bertramgoout，Pete？’

Yes，Miss；aboutfiveo’clock。Hesaidhe’dbebacktodinner。’

Oh!Allright。’

Fromthehallthetelephonejangledsharply。

I’llgo，’saidPete’smistress，assheturnedandhurriedup-stairs。

ItwasBertram’svoicethatansweredheropeningHullo。’

Oh，Billy，isthatyou，dear？Well，you’rejusttheoneIwanted。Iwantedtosay——thatis，Iwantedtoaskyou——’Thespeakerclearedhisthroatalittlenervously，andbeganalloveragain。Thefactis，Billy，I’verunacrossacoupleofoldclassmatesonfromNewYork，andtheyareveryanxiousIshouldstaydowntodinnerwiththem。Wouldyoumind——verymuchifI

did？’

AcoldhandseemedtoclutchBilly’sheart。

Shecaughtherbreathwithalittlegaspandtriedtospeak；butshehadtotrytwicebeforethewordscame。

Why，no——no，ofcoursenot!’Billy’svoicewasveryhigh-pitchedandalittleshaky，butitwassurpassinglycheerful。

Yousureyouwon’tbe——lonesome？’Bertram’svoicewasvaguelytroubled。

Ofcoursenot!’

You’veonlytosaytheword，littlegirl，’

cameBertram’sanxioustonesagain，andI

won’tstay。’

Billyswallowedconvulsively。Ifonly，onlyhewould_stop_andleavehertoherself!Asifsheweregoingtoownupthat_she_waslonesomefor_him_——

if_he_wasnotlonesomefor_her!_

Nonsense!ofcourseyou’llstay，’calledBilly，stillinthathigh-pitched，shakytreble。Then，beforeBertramcouldanswer，sheutteredagayGood-by!’andhungupthereceiver。

BillyhadtenwholeminutesinwhichtocrybeforePete’sgongsoundedfordinner；butshehadonlyoneminuteinwhichtotrytoeffacethewoefullyvisibleeffectsofthosetenminutesbeforeWilliamtappedatherdoor，andcalled：

Gonetosleep，mydear？Dinner’sready。

Didn’tyouhearthegong？’

Yes，I’mcoming，UncleWilliam。’Billyspokewithbreezygayety，andthrewopenthedoor；butshedidnotmeetUncleWilliam’seyes。

Herheadwasturnedaway。Herhandswerefussingwiththehangofherskirt。

Bertram’sdiningout，Petetellsme，’observedWilliam，withcheerfulnonchalance，astheywentdown-stairstogether。

Billybitherlipandlookedupsharply。Shehadbeenbracingherselftomeetwithdisdainfulindifferencethisman’spity——thepitydueapoorneglectedwifewhosehusband_preferred_todinewitholdclassmatesratherthanwithherself。